LOS ANGELES TIMES
By Carolina A. Miranda
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| Islamic State militants have destroyed two historic tombs in Palmyra, according to Syrian authorities. This undated photo released Monday by a militant website, which has been verified and is consistent with reporting by the Associated Press, shows one of two mausoleums being blown up. |
SYRIA---A top Syrian antiquities official announced today that Islamic State militants have destroyed a pair of important historic tombs at the ancient city of Palmyra, according to a report by the Associated Press. The destroyed sites include the grave of the Shiite saint Muhammad Bin Ali and the Sufi scholar Nizar Abu Bahaa Eddine. Images released by a militant website, and consistent with reporting from the Associated Press, show militants carrying explosives, then explosions and piles of rubble. Islamic State militants are Sunni and view Shiites as heretics and the followers of Sufi orders as deviants. Moreover, they view tombs and religious shrines as on par with idol worshiping. [
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| Two ISIS militants stand on the wreckage of one of the destroyed mausoleums in Palmyra in this undated photo released on June 22. It too has been verified and is consistent with other reporting by the Associated Press. (Uncredited / AP) |
